Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist
Nicolae: The Rise of Antichrist is the third book in the Left Behind series. It was written by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins and published in 1997. Plot introduction The seven-year Tribulation is nearing the end of its first quarter, when prophecy says that "the wrath of the Lamb" will be poured out upon Earth. Rayford Steele becomes the ears of the tribulation saints at the highest levels of the Global Community. Meanwhile, Cameron "Buck" Williams attempts a rescue run from Israel through the Sinai Peninsula. Plot summary The members of the Tribulation Force have discovered that their pastor, Bruce Barnes, has been killed during the bombing of a hospital in World War III. Rayford Steele is quickly called to meet Global Community Supreme Potentate and Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia in Dallas, Texas to fly him to New Babylon, Iraq. Meanwhile, Cameron "Buck" Williams and Chloe Steele go to New Hope Village Church to inform Loretta about Bruce. Chloe is in downtown Chicago, Illinois when it is bombed by the Global Community. Buck is eventually able to rescue her after she crashed her Range Rover into a tree. Rayford hears about this and sends Amanda White back to Chicago to help them. On the flight back to New Babylon, Rayford learns much about Nicolae's secret plans through a secret intercom device installed by his former boss at Pan-Continental Airlines, Earl Halliday into the new aircraft called the Condor 216. Rayford eventually arrives back in New Babylon. Having heard from his friend Chaim Rosenzweig about Tsion Ben-Judah's loss of his wife and children to murder, Buck goes to Israel with charter pilot Ken Ritz. He is led by the two witnesses, Eli and Moishe in Jerusalem, to a boat near the Sea of Galilee. After proving that he is who he says he is, Buck is taken to the shelter where Tsion is hiding for his protection. Tsion has been accused of murdering his family, although he did not do so. Buck and Tsion are given a worn-out bus to drive to Egypt (which was where God directed Buck to go to in a dream) to meet Ritz for the escape to the United States. They meet many obstacles along the way, but are supernaturally protected and arrive in Chicago safely. During this time, Rayford meets with his friend Hattie Durham, and tries to discourage her from having an abortion of her baby that she had with Carpathia when their relationship with each other had come to an end. Because both Buck and Tsion are international fugitives, Rayford flies back to Chicago for the funeral service for Bruce. The service mainly consists of an evangelical message and predictions of what is to come, all outlined by Rayford himself. Rayford then returns to New Babylon to be joined by his wife later. The stateside Tribulation Force meets Hattie Durham on her journey to see her relatives. After this, Amanda flies to New Babylon to join Rayford. Verna Zee, Buck's former superior at the Chicago office of the Global Weekly, witnesses Tsion attending the funeral service and threatens to expose both him and Buck, who manages to reason with her not to expose him, though by accidentally getting her to reveal that she is a lesbian. Buck is driving to see Tsion at the hideout where he is when the worldwide earthquake predicted at the funeral begins. The sun goes dark, the moon turns blood-red, and meteors fall from the sky. A quarter of the world's population dies. Buck finds Tsion alive but trapped in the shelter. Condor 216 first officer Mac McCullum flies Carpathia and Rayford to Baghdad International Airport just as Global Community headquarters collapses. As the book ends, only Buck, Tsion, and Rayford are accounted for and safe among the Tribulation Force, though Rayford angrily tells a seemingly indifferent Carpathia that he had just witnessed "the Wrath Of The Lamb". Loretta and Donny Moore are confirmed dead. Chloe and Amanda are missing. Characters in Nicolae *Rayford Steele *Cameron "Buck" Williams *Chloe Steele Williams *Amanda White Steele *Nicolae Carpathia *Leon Fortunato *Chaim Rosenzweig *Hattie Durham *Tsion Ben-Judah *Ken Ritz *Loretta Product placement Although most products in the series are referred to without the use of a brand name, a large section of this book is devoted to the Land Rover Range Rover, which is presented as a miraculous do-all vehicle for "under six figures". Several characters in the novel repeatedly observe the amazingness of the vehicle's performance and durability, and the Range Rover even survives a major crash with only minor cosmetic damage. Film, television, or theatrical adaptations None have yet been made but this may change soon as the series is being filmed. This would be next in the series if they follow the sequence. Category:Books